Recipe: Blackeyed Pea Soup I

I thought it even better leftover!

Mr. Big Food notes, "I used veggies stock instead of chicken stock in the black-eyed pea soup and use ed cut up ham instead of ham hocks."

BLACK EYED PEA SOUP I

Serves 6-8

2 smoked ham hocks

5 C water

1 ½ C dried black-eyed peas

1 C onion, chopped

½ C celery, chopped

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

2/3 C evaporated milk

1 Tbsp flour

Place ham hocks in water in stock pot or Dutch oven, and simmer 45 minutes. Soak peas in warm water for 45 minutes, drain, and add peas, onion, celery, salt, and pepper to ham hocks. Boil, covered, over medium heat for 2 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove ham hocks and cool slightly. Remove meat from bones, discarding fat, rind, and bones. Shred meat and return to soup. Combine a small amount of the evaporated milk with flour to make a paste, and stir back into remaining milk until well blended. Add to soup, bring soup to a boil, and cook until soup thickens slightly.